


"The House of a Friend" & Other Drabbles

by Himring



Series: Celebrimbor & Narvi [1]
Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Dwarves, Elves, Foreshadowing, Friendship, Fëanor - Freeform, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-10
Updated: 2013-09-26
Packaged: 2017-12-23 00:42:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/919968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Himring/pseuds/Himring
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The friendship of Narvi and Celebrimbor:<br/>Narvi and Celebrimbor work on the Doors of Moria--and other scenes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The House of a Friend

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Zdenka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zdenka/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Tolkien Drabbles: The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales](https://archiveofourown.org/works/915968) by [Zdenka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zdenka/pseuds/Zdenka). 



> The first drabble of this series is for Zdenka, in response to her drabble "Let the Star Rise".
> 
> Drabble sequence (100 words each according to MS Word)
> 
> Written for the Petrology Challenge at Tolkien Weekly on LiveJournal and also for SWG for Akallabeth in August

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Chalk

 

After careful planning, Narvi takes a piece of chalk and begins to mark up the rock face, while Celebrimbor stands well back, checking the position of the marks against the sketch. Finally, Narvi moves to the lower centre of the design and positions his first stroke…  
‘Narvi, wait!’ cries Celebrimbor.  
‘Too far to the left?’ Narvi asks.  
There is silence behind his back—and he realizes this is not about a flaw in execution.  
‘It is the sign of your House; it belongs on the Doors,’ Narvi says.  
And between moon-shaped tree branches, he chalks out the Star of Feanor.


	2. Duchesses for the Roof

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Slate

‘Shale, schist, slate!’ sings Narvi in his deep gravelly voice.  ‘Shale, schist, slate! Shale for the roads of Elven Town, slate for its roofs!’  
Meticulously, he positions his chisel and splits the foliated rock, again and again.  
‘Slate for the roof: duchesses for the Gwaith-i-Mirdain, narrow ladies for Celebrimbor…’  
He trims leaves of rock into flat, thin squares: larger ones, smaller ones…  
‘Narvi, my friend,’ says Celebrimbor, ‘you have the strength of ten dwarves, but I see your apprentices failing on their feet. How about a brief rest and a glass of the red wine I just received from Edhellond?’


	3. Shell-like, Translucent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Marble

For Galadriel, Celebrimbor insists on marble. Narvi presents samples and, unsurprised, watches his friend choose a delicately blue-veined, near-translucent white reminiscent of the Lady’s shell-like complexion. Another gift for the woman Celebrimbor fervently admires but simply cannot get along with! _Never, not in a thousand years, even if she weren’t married already._ Even a dwarf can see that but Narvi knows better than to say anything.  
But after work, as he watches Celebrimbor crouching on the floor and playing marbles with the children of the Khazad, laughing uproariously at being beaten by Narvi’s great-niece, Narvi sighs, thinking: _What a waste!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From Gimli's rhapsody about Aglarond: "folded marbles, shell-like, translucent as the living hands of Queen Galadriel"


	4. Shadow on the Wall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Obsidian

 

‘I saw the Father of Dragons, Glaurung—twice’, says Celebrimbor. ‘I saw Gothmog, the Lord of Balrogs. They carried the dark flame of Morgoth inside their hearts. When it was strongest in them, it was as hot as a volcano, as hot as fabled Mount Orodruin in the Southlands!  Where they went, the rocks beneath them melted into a trail of black glass... They were terrible, Narvi.’  
The hearth-fire flickers, throwing an abrupt shadow on the cave wall. Narvi shudders inwardly. Nightmares of the First Age!  
‘There are no balrogs here,’ he murmurs, soothingly, ‘and no dragons. We have peace.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alluding to the fact that obsidian consists of volcanic glass (with thanks to Huinare for a bit of geological background information)


	5. Physic and Metaphysics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Granite

‘I would quite like to revert to rock,’ grumbles Narvi. ‘Granite doesn’t hurt as much as I do!’  
‘What would Arda Unmarred be without Dwarves!’ protests Celebrimbor. ‘It would be Marred by that very lack!’  
He is rubbing something elvish into Narvi’s back. He says he begged it off Celeborn! It even works on dwarvish swollen joints.  
‘Elves claim Mahal was at fault in making us!’ remarks Narvi provocatively.  
But Celebrimbor’s ageless face is sad.  
‘It is an elvish fault-—not to want to say goodbye forever.’  
 _Oh Mahal!_  
Narvi clears his throat.  
‘Ah—we’ll have to wait and see.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Allegedly, Elves are supposed to believe that Dwarves have no role in Arda Unmarred and revert to the stone they were made of after death. Dwarves believe that their creator, Aule or Mahal, has set halls aside for them in Mandos.


End file.
